Notice of allegations for former UM Clint Hurtt released

The NCAA notice of allegations against former UM football assistant Clint Hurtt highlighted several serious violations including unethical conduct.

The eight-pages of documents were released to the Sun Sentinel through a freedom of information request Monday from the University of Louisville, his current employer.

In it, Hurtt assistant was accused of multiple infractions including being dishonest with NCAA investigators.

Receiving the dreaded 10.1 rule violation, Hurtt allegedly provided misleading information to NCAA enforcement staff members during a 2011 interview. The notice states Hurtt denied providing meals, transportation and some lodging for four UM football recruits on Nov. 3, 2011. He also denied arranging for former booster Nevin Shapiro to pay for meals for recruits.

These denials "were in direct contradiction to information provided by the then football prospective student-athletes and some of the then football student-athletes involved."

The Hurtt notice of allegations is just part of the larger NCAA case involving UM and nearly a decade of alleged rules violations. UM is not releasing the full notice of allegations it received, but promises to fight for no further sanctions in light of the NCAA’s mishandling of aspects of the two-year investigation.

UM president Donna Shalala said the school has suffered enough after banning itself from consecutive football postseasons. The school and any former coaches accused of wrongdoing will have an opportunity to defend themselves in front of the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions in the coming months.

Hurtt, a Hurricane on the field from 1997-2001 and twice an assistant, left for Louisville in 2010. He was Miami’s defensive line coach from 2006-09 and recruiting coordinator from ’07-09.

Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich told reporters last week that Hurtt’s version of events differed greatly from the notice of allegations that arrived Tuesday.

According to the allegations he received, Hurtt engaged in improper recruiting of seven recruits form 2006-09 along with two other assistants and Shapiro. Names of the other assistants were redacted from the document released Monday.

The allegations mostly involve providing illegal transportation and lodging to the recruits. The total estimated value of the extra benefits was $3,315.

One incident involved a trip to Shapiro's home. Hurtt allegedly drove recruits and current players to the residence where the booster drove them around in his Mercedes. They later played pool and Shapiro allegedly awarded cash prizes to the winning team.

Another allegation involves recruits on unofficial visits and current players to a Lucky Strike bowling alley with Shapiro. Cash awards of $250 went to the winners and a recruit allegedly received a jersey of a former Hurricane player.

Hurtt also allegedly arranged for Shapiro to pay for meals totaling $529 for recruits and players at Grazie Italian Cuisine. Hurtt also allegedly drove the players to the meeting.

Shapiro also allegedly provided Hurtt with an interest-free loan of $2,500 in April of 2009. It was repaid three months later.

Shapiro was later convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison for his involvement in a $930 million Ponzi scheme. Original reports from an August 2011 story by Yahoo! Sports indicated Hurtt received two loans of $2,500 apiece, but the official NCAA allegations contained just one.